Careerbuilder Survey Suggests Social Media Might NOT Be Getting You the Job

Right or wrong. Good or bad. Social media has changed our lives in many ways. It has become a headache and challenge for parents. It has created more opportunity for kids to make mistakes. And unfortunately these mistakes are not like the mistakes people my age made that were largely simply forgotten and never seen again. The mistakes made within the internet & social media world live on forever, only to potentially come back and haunt our kids later in life. The challenge: getting them to understand this.

A similar challenge exists in today's job market with job seekers. We talk about it frequently. At our recruiting firm it has become standard procedure to discuss no different than discussing proper interview attire, non-verbal communication during the interviewing, being prepared, etc, etc. Social media has crept into the hiring decision making process everywhere. According to a recent Careerbuilder survey more than two in five (43 percent) hiring managers who currently research candidates via social media said they have found information that has caused them not to hire a candidate, up 9 percentage points from last year. Given the recent release of this survey it seems a good time to again hit this point home. You simply have to be careful about what you put out into social media because it will be seen. Oh yes, it will be seen. Which could prevent you from landing your dream job. Or any job. This cannot be stressed enough. Adults and kids alike. Think, think, think before you post for the world to see.

Here is the article regarding the Careerbuilder survey: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100844354

Scot Dickerson, CPC
President

Capstone Search

What Is the One Thing You Should Do in Every Job Interview?

An online article by Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Local and NY Times Best-Selling Author, was brought to my attention the other day. The article is titled, “1 Thing You Must Do in Every Job Interview,” and I found it to be  interesting and definitely worth reading for anyone in a job hunt. Here is a link to the full article:

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130606153931-15077789-the-1-thing-you-must-do-in-every-job-interview?trk=tod-home-art-large_0

In a nutshell, this article discusses the importance of having questions prepared for the interviewer. As stated in the article, well thought out questions demonstrate the person’s interest in the job and company. I completely agree that a candidate that is prepared with well thought out questions will come across more interested in the position they are interviewing for verse someone that simply states that they have no questions when asked. When preparing a candidate for an interview I always talk to them about this very topic.

What I found even more interesting than the article was the comments from readers. For example:

Comment: Why would I wait until after the interview to ask "who is the ideal candidate for this position?" Good point. I believe this is something the candidate needs to work into the beginning of the interview. Hence allowing them to highlight their experiences that are obviously most important to the interviewer.

Comment: I disagree with this article. The one thing you must do in a job interview is sell yourself and convince the interviewers that you are the best person for the job. Period. True, however I often hear from interviewers about a candidate not showing passion and enthusiasm.  Asking well thought out questions is just one more way to demonstrate this interest. A great candidate will take the interview past their applicable skills and why they are the best candidate, they will also show the company that they are ready to do the job.

Overall, there are some very good comments that are just as useful as the article itself. There are some negative comments as well, and some are valid. Others are just people being negative. Right or wrong, interviewers are often looking for ways to determine a candidate's passion for what they do and about the job they have available. And whether you agree or disagree with the author’s decision not to hire the candidate, being prepared is always a good idea. And for me, that is the bottom line.

Scot Dickerson, CPC
President

Capstone Search